Phendrene the Charizard hesitates as all eyes turn to her. She looks to me and I give her an approving smile, making her clench her fists in determination.
"The thing I wanted to tell you all was…" she begins, and takes another deep breath. "Fen's my father. Sorry for not saying it earlier," she adds meekly and looks down, fiddling with her claws. I grasp onto her wrist and pull it away, giving her an affirmative nod. It has been difficult for her to work up the courage, but she did.
Rue is the first to react as she pushes her self up in surprise. "Woah, really! How'd you know?"
"I recognized him when I first met him," Phendrene adds quietly. "I just… didn't know how to say it."
"Yeah, I thought you liked him a bit too much just for being the same species. Makes sense." Mentally, I feel relieved that Rue reacts without much negativity. I had already been ready to defend Phendrene from Haxorus accusations.
Neither of the two Salamence have as big of a physical reaction as Rue, but Spire is the next to speak. "So you're in the same parental situation with Nova then," he adds in a disinterested voice.
It takes a moment to get what he means. Rue perks up to answer, as if she wants to clarify for us. "Yeah, they both have their fathers after being raised by their mothers, who… well, you know. Nova's children will be the same, too."
"Rue!" Father scolds. "Don't say that." I was not too affected by her words, but in light of my father's words I still hold myself closer to Phendrene.
"Fine, fine," Rue concedes and waves her hand dismissively. "Dunno why they had to keep it from us, but okay."
So Rue does end up questioning her about it after all. I begin to explain, "Phendrene was a lot shyer when she was younger. Now that she's gotten a better, there's no reason to hide it, especially since we're living with him long term."
"So why doesn't he join us?" Rue continues and glances back towards Fen's door. "Nova's dad stays out with us, and he's doing fine."
"He works for the Charizard," Father answers, looking towards the Haxorus. "Surely he has many things to do, unlike me. On top of that, he doesn't seem to battle."
I am reminded of the time where he attacked me because when I told him I was a psychic. I was able to hold him against the ceiling with little effort, just like the Flygon leader and the Salamence in that cave. But Rue resists it quite easily after practice, and Blight is basically immune. Phendrene was easy to control at first, but the more she struggled the less easy it was to hold her in place.
"Hey, Phendrene, it's all right," Rue walks over and pats her on the back, making the Charizard perk up. "I'd rather you tell us now than never."
The two of them have changed. Phendrene has gotten bolder, no longer running away at a touch other than me. And Rue, on the other hand, has become less abrasive. I'd never seen her put in the effort to comfort someone like that before. When Phendrene told her father and me that she wanted to tell everyone else about it, I was worried some of them, particularly Rue, would not take it that well. Now I am glad to see my worries were completely unfounded.
Seeing that they are faring well, I head towards the exit. "I'll head out for the day, then," I look back and announce. "See you all."
"Wait!" Rue leaves Phendrene's side and grabs onto my hand. "Didn't you promise to bring me to the forest today? I mean… she might be at the forest, too."
Don't mention that out loud, I tell her angrily, making her flinch. "Fine, I'll bring you to the forest," I concede, because I did agree to it when she said she missed her Grovyle friend, Lin. "Anyone else want to come?"
Phendrene raises her hand tentatively, but Rue stops her before she can start to ask. "You're a Charizard! You can't just go to the forest because you want to stay with us, since you have an actual safe place to live now." Her scolding is oddly reminiscent of the first time she told Phendrene to leave the forest. "I'm sure you can deal with living with these two Salamence for a day or two."
"A day or two?" Phendrene asks worriedly. "Aren't you coming back tonight?"
"We might, but I'm with Nova this time, so food's not a problem. It really depends on if we feeling like staying the night. Come on, Phendrene, you've evolved for a while now. Don't make us treat you like a child," Rue concludes, a hint of patronization returning to her voice.
Phendrene stops at that comment and steadies herself with a deep breath. "Okay. I'll stay here and wait." Her change in demeanour makes me wonder just how much she wants to be considered an adult. Personally, I'd rather she not be forced to grow up too soon; I don't mind mollycoddling her for a bit more. But I do see Rue's point. A Charizard's tail is much longer than any Charmander or Charmeleon, and does pose a much more serious risk in the forest.
"Well then, Nova, may you please teleport us?" Rue asks as she holds onto my arm tightly.
"Let's head outside first," I say and lead her out into the sunlight. "Ready?" I turn around and take her other hand and stand close to her.
She nods and we lean onto each other's forehead. I close my eyes to avoid the close-up image of her tusks and concentrate. The image of the familiar forest clearing comes into my mind. There is a patch of grass in the middle that is brighter due to the gap in the canopy. Leaves surround us and flutter in the wind. The desire to be there intensifies, and with a jolt the air becomes warmer. I open my eyes and survey the place I grew up at for the later half of my childhood. I feel a surge of energy within me, Letting go of Rue, I rush upward above the trees and survey the endless sea of green.
"Hey!" Rue shouts from below, waving her arm in the air. "If you're going to go flying, at least take me with you!"
Staring down from above, the sight of her looking up satisfies an intrinsic ego. I can fly and enjoy all this freedom, while she can't. I shake my head to dispel the thought. I shouldn't feel superior because of the way we were born. Gliding back down next to Rue, I point towards the direction of the Sceptile. "Let's go find Lin first."
Even though I know the path, I let her lead the way. As we pass by the side of the shelter, I glance over towards it. It is still intact, and I wonder if any other Pokémon has taken up residence in there.
After flying her across the chasm again, we venture into the Sceptile territory. Unlike before, where I remember only curious gazes, now there is an atmosphere of hostility. I sense numerous minds watch at us, some with fear, and some with hunger. Once a Grovyle tries to attack me from behind only for me to fling her away without a noise. It has been so long since Rue has been here that most children don't recognize her anymore.
And so we stop by a tree. Rue calls upwards, but there is no response; I tell her that there is no one on the tree, and so we sit and wait.
"She has no idea I'm coming, so she could be out hunting or hanging out with friends," Rue says, to which I feel no need to answer.
"Hey, Nova." She suddenly puts an arm around my neck, startling me. "Why are you so quiet lately? I know it's hard to accept everything, but none of it was your fault. We are all supportive of you."
Scoffing, I return, "I thought you disapproved me of having children?"
"It definitely was stupid and impulsive, because you couldn't even find a mate that wants to take care of eggs – but that's why you're just a normal person!"
The vibe of superiority I am getting from her, both in tone and from cursory mind reading, makes me feel indignant. I want to just tell her the truth: I'm just as chaste as I was! But no, this is something stupid to reveal the secret for. And to think I thought she was getting nicer…
It can't be helped. I used to feel superior to all those who had mates, too, as if I'm not bound by this earthly desire. Now that I've fallen in love once, I have more understanding for those who do.
"Sorry," Rue says after another period of my silence. "I shouldn't be mean. Just… next time, use more judgement before mating with someone, okay?"
Despite her apology, I feel more and more uncomfortable at the fact that they've assumed I've mated with someone. Do they picture the image in their head? That's so awkward.
"Nova, come on, you can't stay silent forever. If you don't like talking about this we can just talk about something else."
I'm not silent because of trauma or anything, I just can't have an honest conversation with her, since I've fed them all this false information. But since she asked so nicely… "I don't see what there is to talk about."
"But it's so boring!" She tugs on my arm again. "Are you really just satisfied sitting and doing nothing the whole time?"
I'm not doing nothing, I'm thinking very carefully about everything you say, Rue. But I can't just open my mouth and let these thoughts spill out like I usually do.
"Nova!" she calls out again impatiently, and just before I'm about to respond I sense a Sceptile approach rapidly. Shooting up, I block him with a psychic grasp, stopping in him his path. Alarmingly, he already has a leaf blade readied.
"Woah!" Rue shouts and jumps up too in response. "What do you want?"
The Sceptile struggles in my grasp, making me spend too much energy, so I place him back onto the ground tentatively. "That's my question," he says immediately and turns his head to me. "What did you just do to me? Why are you at our tree?"
"You're the one who attacked us! He acted in self-defence!" Rue raises her voice. "And you don't live here! No male Sceptile lives here!"
"What is the fuss about, dear?" A much softer voice sounds from behind him, and I realise that it's a female Sceptile. "Oh my! Rue, it's you?" She rushes forward and grabs onto the Haxorus's hand. Rue doesn't seem to react and only stares back blankly.
"…You evolved?" She manages to get out.
"You evolved first, so I thought there wasn't much reason to stay as a Grovyle," Lin explains, much more eager to talk than before. "This is my mate, Dale. Dale, this is my Haxorus friend, Rue. With him is her Flygon friend, Nova."
"Oh!" Dale answers, embarrassed. "Sorry, I don't know what a Haxorus or a Flygon look like. Thought you were some other Pokémon trying to take our tree." He offers a hand, and Rue takes it, though less enthusastic than she usually is.
"You have a mate now," Rue states without much emotion. "That's nice."
"Yeah, it's been great," Lin affirms with a smile. "Actually, more than that… I'm pregnant with our egg right now."
I feel surprise, but not as much as Rue, who visibly flinches before blurting out, "What."
A little embarrassed, Lin turns to her mate and takes his arm. "I didn't think I'd have children so soon, either. But he came along, and we both wanted them, so…"
"Congratulations, I guess," Rue answers. "I suppose that means you're going to be a parent. Nova here has a few eggs of his own, too."
"Really, a few eggs!" Dale exclaims as he looks to me. "What was it like finding out that you made that many eggs, eh?"
He gives me the sense that my fertility is something to be proud of. I don't share that sentiment at all, nor do I actually have eggs, so I remain silent. I hadn't prepared a lie for a question like this anyway.
"Don't ask him," Rue answers as soon as it's clear I'm not talking. "It's a rather sensitive topic for him. …His mate left him."
"Oh, I'm so sorry! That must be awful," Lin says with a tone that is genuine, but the reactionary nature of it only makes it sound less heartfelt.
"Let's not talk about that," Rue helps divert the topic. "How did you meet Dale?"
"He's from the Northern tribe," she explains. "When he just came over, we…"
I feel guilty, because they must assume that I'm feeling awful right now, when in reality I'm just ruminating. How could having a mate could change Lin so much? It's strange because I actually connected to her somewhat when I saw her quiet and thoughtful persona, but now she only feels foreign. And from what I gather in Rue's mind, she feels similarly distant from her old friend. She still stands patiently and listens to the two of them proudly retelling their relationship. They do seem genuinely happy, and that is good for them, but there's still a significant disconnect in expectation and reality.
"Actually, we are just passing by. Some Charizard are waiting for us down south," Rue gives an excuse in response to an offer for us to stay. "It was nice seeing you, though. Hope your egg comes out healthy."
"Come around sometime when you're free!" Dale comments. "I'd love to battle Flygon if they can do things like that!" he says with a finger pointing at me.
I stiffen at being the centre of attention. "Oh, yeah, all Flygon can," Rue covers me about psychic powers and tugs my hand. "Next time, though. Goodbye."
"Bye! Come around some time!" Lin gives a small wave as Rue leads me away.
The whole experience was so different from what I expected it almost feels surreal. But Rue seems a lot more upset about the whole ordeal. What's wrong?
…It doesn't feel right, Rue answers in her mind. I don't like that Dale. His name is strange, his face is weird, and his voice is annoying. Why would Lin choose him as a mate?
I sense the discontent in her mind grow more and more. He seemed okay, I tell her honestly. At least Lin is happy.
But the way she behaves now, I can't even recognize it's her. I can't expect her to stay the same the entire time I'm gone, I suppose… You're all going to find mates, aren't you? Phendrene and Spire too…
I stay silent at that, because again, I can't answer her honestly. I want to tell her the truth, but… for the sake of the Vie's children having a parent, I can't.
"Can't you just teleport back now?" Rue turns around and says out loud. "There's nothing to do here anymore."
"So fast? Don't you want to see our old home?"
"There's no point. It doesn't feel like home anymore. Lin's found someone else to make her happy. We were really only friends because of her brother, anyway," she says bitterly. I'm about to console her when she steps closer and holds onto both of my hands. "Come on, teleport."
I nod and close my eyes, trying to ignore all the curious eyes on us. The image of the cliff appears easily now that I have recognized it as home, and the practice of teleporting back there after my searches for the Prince makes it quick. She doesn't say a word as she opens the door and loudly announces her return.
So her reserved antics were really just discomfort with Lin. I have to say, this reaction is not too surprising considering Rue's stance on mates. In fact, I'd probably have similar feelings for Vie if I found out about the eggs had I not had the experience with Aya. But circumstance has made me more understanding. Aya was perfect for me at that time, providing me consolation and shelter when I was insecure about my powers. If only she didn't have to leave… I miss her, not as a mate (because we weren't mates), but as a friend and companion.
"Nova? You just gonna stand out there?" Rue shouts from the door, and in response I walk over and head inside.
"Are you all right?" Phendrene asks from aside. "Teleporting this much should take a toll on your abilities."
"I've gotten better at it," I answer honestly and take a seat on my bed.
"Get off that!" Rue comes over and pulls me up roughly. "It's still the morning. We still have a whole day ahead of us. Let's go battle!"
I stare at her eager face, finding it difficult to reject. But still, I have to save energy for the search of the Prince. "I don't feel like it. Why don't you find Father?"
"He and Spire left when I was talking to my father," Phendrene explains. "They're probably just stretching their wings."
"Fine," Rue concedes and crosses her arms. "If you're not gonna battle, let's listen to Phendrene sing!"
"What?" Phendrene turns her head to Rue, flustered. "I-I can't sing very well," she says, her wings lowering as if she wants to appear smaller.
"Come on, you're reading those songbooks all day. You've bound to have learnt something through all this time," Rue argues with a grin.
I feel the need to encourage her, since I had actually heard her sing before. "Don't worry, Phendrene. You have a beautiful voice."
She looks up at me suddenly, her wings shifting up, and I wonder if I overdid the compliment before she rights herself with a complacent smile. "All right."
I sit back down onto my bed and so does Rue, as Phendrene's voice fills the room.
When hearts are hurt and you can't mend the scars from the past
Safely shall I come to your side and ease your mind at last
Just let your sorrows die, feel the embrace of the night
Forever by your side, I will never let you cry
Whenever your sun does not rise remember the bygone times
Keep them close to your mind and just let yourself rewind
So close your eyes and fly, forget the woes of life
Reach up and touch the sky, all you need to do is try
"…That's all I remember for this song," Phendrene adds quietly as she finishes.
"It's good!" Rue exclaims and jumps up to give Phendrene yet another pat. "You should sing to us more, honestly! I've read about music but I have never heard much of it."
"Is it a Charizard song again?" I ask, curious.
"I'm not sure… I remember the tune from my childhood; I only had to memorize the lyrics again," Phendrene answers me in a straightforward manner. "Maybe my mother-"
The door to Fen's room opens and the three of us look over to see him standing before it.
"Don't let me interrupt you," he says, gazing at his child softly. "Continue singing."
Phendrene lowers her head and wings, embarrassed again. "Father… I can't if you watch like that."
"Why not? I've heard you sing ever since you were an infant," he says and leans against the doorframe. "Please continue, Phendrene."
She holds her stare for a moment then looks back to Rue and me. "Okay. What should I sing?"
"You decide. I don't know any," Rue says first.
"How about that Charizard one about that guardian Nova?" I suggest tentatively, recalling the first time she sang to me as a Charmander.
Her face brightening tells me that she does indeed like that song. "Yes, that one! Here I go…"
Our static lifestyle makes us pursue new avenues for leisure. If I knew Phendrene liked singing this much, I would have encouraged her to show the others much earlier. They all seem to be enjoying it, too, particularly her father, whose gaze still has that feel of a father's love. Despite being nice and protecting me from Hale once, I've never seen my father look at me in a way remotely like that. Maybe he shows love in a different way…
I shouldn't be envious. I'm the one who chooses to be more distant from them, because I have to maintain the image of brooding over a lost mate. It should have been long enough with the few months behind us, yet still I am afraid of the secret being discovered… Once again, I find myself wanting to tell them everything, if only to connect with them again, but I need to forgo these less important desires. Who knows what Hale would do if he knew that I am keeping Vie's eggs.
"Wow, Nova's right, that song was great! It really fits your voice," Rue comments as she claps.
"You should sing that song to your aunt the next time she comes over," Fen says from aside. "It means a lot to us Charizard."
Phendrene twitches at the mention of that. "But Father, she-"
"She may be critical, but that is because she cares about you," Fen states, caring but firm.
Not having seen Celsius much, I ask, "When did she come over?"
"She's never here for a long time," Fen explains to me patiently. "Sometimes you are away for the day, other times you are simply out flying."
"But she always looks at me weirdly," Phendrene complains again. She probably meets her aunt quite more often than the rest of us, since they both stay in Fen's room often. Given their personalities, I can see why Phendrene would react this way.
"You're still family. At least she's not like Nova's mate, who abandons-"
"Don't say that!" Phendrene answers angrily and gives a worried glance towards me. I realise that I'm supposed to react violently to that, and find the perfect excuse to teleport away on the spot, especially since I'm having troubling thoughts about my own father. Bringing my mind to the snowy peak that I had familiarized myself with, I am notified of my success by a blast of cold wind. I open my eyes to find myself at the plateau I've remembered as a teleport anchor. I glance around and take the familiar view of white hills in, standing above all the other nearby peaks. Trying to sense a headache, I am relieved to find that there is none. My psychic endurance has improved.
I wonder about the ramifications of me leaving like that. I feel a little bad, since Phendrene must be extremely upset at her father right now, but that really was an insensitive thing to say from their perspective. If my story were true I would be plausibly upset enough to teleport away like that. Still, it was a great excuse to get out of the sticky situation. Every time I spend too much time with them, I feel like telling them about things I shouldn't. I haven't had much information on the prince lately, so it was about time I tried again.
My search has become exponentially more dangerous the more times I attempt it, as surely I would gather the attention of the group who wants to kill me. By word of mouth, most of the Salamence must know of the strange Flygon who asks them about the prince and leaves shortly after. The weather is also becoming much colder now that it is winter, which of course is exacerbated in the mountains, and even though I have subconscious insulation, the chill still tires me much more quickly.
Before I am able to take flight and begin my search, however, a voice calls me from behind, surprising me.
"Hey you, Flygon!" I turn around warily and see a Salamence, somewhat covered in snow. "You made me come here and wait for so long!" she says as she walks forward.
"Do you know of the Salamence Prince?" I ask routinely, and begin to assess her mind, but am stopped by an eerie feeling.
"Oi, stop that. Don't read my mind," she says and waves her foreleg at me, annoyed. "And yes, I do know of the Salamence Prince. That's why I waited here for you. I heard the psychic Flygon was searching for him, too." She steps forward and looks up to me. "So, why are you searching for him?"
Understanding that this Salamence is probably not a commoner, I feel more obliged to tell her the truth. "The King requested for me to do so. If you know where he is, would you bring me to him?"
She gives a chuckle. "Oh, I don't know where he is, either. But just like you, I want to find him. So we should help each other, don't you think?" She offers a paw up, and I take it somewhat hesitantly, surprised at how forward she is.
"So why do you want to find him? Were you asked by the King, too?"
"Of course not! I want to find him because he was my best friend." From the nostalgic look in her eyes, coupled with the fact that she resisted my mind-reading, she is likely a Salamence of high-society, too. Taking the moment to glance over her, she seems somewhat older than me, but by much.
"So, what do you know? I haven't met anyone else who knows anything before I met you," I tell her honestly.
"There's no way he's in Salamence territory," she answers and gestures to around us. "I would have found him by now if he was hiding with the others. He must have left to elsewhere. Perhaps the Garchomp territory, since his mother was one. But I would imagine that it would be difficult to live with them, given the history between our species." Her reasoning sounds somewhat seasoned, almost as if like me, she sees past these silly inter-species feuds. "Where have you looked, Flygon?"
"I've looked over many places. I doubt he would be in the desert, because Flygon would attack him, too. There's no clear sign in the Charizard's region, either."
"But have you looked at these places carefully enough?" the Salamence asks and gives me a questioning look. "Couldn't someone be hiding him? Did you ask them as you did to the Salamence here? For a psychic, you should know that mind-reading only finds the surface thoughts," she lectures.
"I didn't actually ask any Charizard, but I still find it very unlikely that he'd be with them. From my vantage point above, I would be able to see a Salamence."
She frowns and stares up at me. "Flygon, you're joking, right? You know the Charizard have extensive underground caverns?"
I stop for a moment. I knew this prior, but didn't really think about it, because I hadn't located an entrance when I flew over the Charizard. Her disapproval and tone aggravate me however, so I respond with my arms crossed, "Of course, but how would he be hiding there? Wouldn't the climate be too warm? Didn't think about that, huh, Salamence?"
"Yeah, but someone in hiding wouldn't be fussy. And I have a name, you know," she mutters and looks down.
"So do I."
"Fine," she concedes and looks back up at me. "What's your name?"
For a moment I'm hesitant to tell her my identity. But even though she hasn't been the most friendly, I can tell that at least she is not sided with those non-dragons. "Nova. And you?"
"Night," she answers swiftly. "No, I don't have an affinity to dark-types, it's just what my mother named me. Now, since you can teleport, do you mind checking the Charizard this afternoon? I'll wait for you here at sundown."
"Sundown? I can't just teleport at will." Everyone seems to assume psychic types have unlimited power. "I can't even come back tomorrow. I have to recuperate."
"Fine, fine, the day after tomorrow. Sunrise. Deal?"
Her casual tone and the fact that she knows about my search makes me feel more relaxed. "Okay, but I can't guarantee I'll wake up on time," I tell her the honest truth.
"Who knew psychics could be so fussy!" She laughs, and I smile in return. "So, you'll go to the Charizard tomorrow then. Wanna come hunt with me for lunch now, then?"
The offer takes me by surprise and I flinch. "Oh, you don't have to," she quickly adds. "I don't know what you psychic Flygon do to hunt, but I guess it might be a bit of a solitary activity."
It's the first time I've talked so openly ever since… since before Vie. I really do want to spend time with Night, perhaps ask her more about the half-blood prince and even Salamence society. She seems far more approachable than Spire or Father ever had been. But my unwillingness to hunt closes one of the primary methods of socialization for any dragon species.
"Sorry, I don't hunt." I feel obliged to give an explanation. "As a psychic, it's easy to feel your prey's emotions. It's disturbing." That's not too far off from the truth, either.
"Ah, I see," she nods with sympathy. "Wait, how do you survive, then?"
"I live with others that hunt for me."
"Ooh, can I come?" she says excitedly and steps forward. "It'd be a privilege to hunt for the psychic Flygon!"
"I was living with them before I knew I was a psychic, so it's not like they are there because of my powers." My prior friendship with them, the fact that they cared about me before I became special, means something more. "I suppose you could come, but I should ask for permission first…"
Her eyes widen in amazement. "Woah. You, a psychic Flygon, have to ask for permission? Hah, they've really got the wrong idea of you over here. They all think you're a lone dragon who is high and mighty to others! But if you appear like this to them, they'd all be disappointed that this mysterious figure is just a normal person."
I'm taken aback by her description. Indeed, if someone only hears of my acts, they'd think I'm just a powerful and cold dragon. Even recently, I have been acting quite aloof to the others. Opening up to Night, a Salamence I barely knew, was cathartic. I could finally talk to someone about the search. It was something I didn't even tell the Growlithe about.
"Ah, now that you're self-conscious, don't want to ruin that image by talking more, eh? How cute." She gives a wry smile as she turns around and walks away, her tail waving back around. "I'll not make it any harder for you, then. Just remember to be here two days later at sunrise!" she shouts and leaps off the edge of the cliff, spreads her wings, and glides off into the snowy mist.
I stare after her and reflect on the words she had spoken. I have definitely acted more distant to everyone after everything had transpired with Vie, not because I was irreparably traumatized, but because I was afraid my secret will be exposed. Perhaps I should try being more amiable. After all, they stuck with me through all this.
It is only as I teleport back do I remember what situation I left them in. Entering the room, I only find Phendrene sitting on her bed with a frown, but as soon as she sees me her face brightens as she rushes over and takes my hands.
"I'm so sorry, Nova. I've scolded Father for what he said already. He-"
"It's all right," I say, returning a calm smile. "I was too impulsive in teleporting away like that, too."
She doesn't seem like she was expecting an apology from my side, and stops briefly. "…That's good, then! Are you going to stay here for the rest of today?"
I nod. "Perhaps you could sing some more?"
"Eh? Really?" She averts her gaze, embarrassed. "I only know a few songs… it would get boring fast. But if you like it, Nova, I-"
The door opens an in comes a Haxorus, some prey hoisted over her shoulder. "Why are you standing in the doorway? Move!"
Stepping aside with Phendrene quickly, we watch Rue watch in and throw the meat on the floor. "I hunted enough for the three of us. Who knows where those two Salamence are? They've been getting more and more Nova. Just disappearing randomly."
You know what I'm heading out for, I send to her, expecting her to stop making these references.
But instead, she shifts and turns her head towards me with an annoyed gaze. You should have given up long ago. It's been months. You clearly aren't going to find her again. She steps right in front of me and looks down from an alarmingly close distance. You're not stupid enough to blindly search for something you won't get, are you?
"What are you doing?" Phendrene drags me away from Rue, completely oblivious. "Don't be so harsh on Nova. Let's eat first, all right?" Phendrene quickly hands a piece of meat to both of us. Rue takes it first and stuffs it in her mouth as she leans back and sits down against the wall. I find it hard to continue the mental conversation because Rue is right about me not really searching for Aya. But the secret I am hiding is not for a selfish reason, so I don't feel bad about it. "Nova?" Phendrene calls again. Seeing that I am unresponsive, she holds the meat up to my mouth and I simply take it out of her hand with a bite.
The afternoon passes quickly. Since I would have to be alone to ask the Charizard about the Half-Blood prince, I decide not to mention my planned excursion to any of them. Instead I end up practicing my powers and flying near the stream like I usually do. There is no sign of the Growlithe, which disappoints me slightly, but nevertheless I continue until night falls and return to the shelter. The animosity Rue exhibits has diminished somewhat and she tells me that the two Salamence have returned, Blight claiming it was to bring Fly to a bigger river for a while. They have retired to the inner rooms already. Though I have not developed a headache from the teleportation today, I do find that I am beginning to tire, and am the first to ready myself for sleep.
I am still the last to wake up as everyone gathers for breakfast. Feeling refreshed and ready to use my mind reading powers on many Charizard. Stuffing myself full (as I will not be back for lunch), I exit the cave discreetly and take flight straight forward to the place where the Charizard lives.
The first Charizard I come across is perched on top of a hill. He gaze turns to me as I slow down and land next to him. There are numerous scars across his face and body, and a wing that is crooked, telling me that this Charizard is old and seasoned.
"Greetings, Flygon," out comes a slow and deep voice.
"Hello," I say, and find myself hesitant to begin. "I was wondering… do you know of the half-blood Prince? The Salamence one."
"That is a peculiar question," he answers, as I ready myself to read his mind. "I can only wonder what brings you to ask this? You are a Flygon, are you not?"
The fact that his mind focuses more on why I am asking the question rather than the idea of the Prince frustrates me. "Yes, I am, but I am on a mission to find this Prince," I tell him honestly.
"Ah, I see. In that case, I have nothing of use to provide to you. I would imagine that we Charizard do not harbour such secrets, but do not take this old dragon's words seriously. Continue on, good Flygon," he finishes with a nod, and moves his gaze back into the distance.
I give a thankful nod and take to the air again. Briefly wondering what he is gazing at, I look backward, and see the epic rocky terrain with some plant life sprawling. Above, the clouds float peacefully beneath an azure sky. Truth to be told, I wouldn't mind being perched there and watch the scenery, either, but I have other things to attend to.
It is no surprise that these Charizard are much more approachable than the Salamence. They always welcome me with a greeting and some even invite me to stay as if I am a weary traveller. My respect for the Charizard as a species grows significantly as I fly among more and more of them. When it nears noon, there are numerous offers to share me their lunch, which I truthfully would like to accept, but only ask for directions to the underground caverns as I need to continue the search. They warn me that the temperature may be too warm, but I insist, and finally am greeted with a large opening to a cave where only few Charizard loiter around.
Heading inside, it is easy to spot Charizard since they are the sole source of light down here. For them, there is no purpose in hanging torches, since they have their own light to guide them. Briefly I follow different Charizard, sometimes more than one of them, and make small talk. It bothers me that I always eventually have to bring the topic to the Salamence Prince and then read their mind thereafter, because in truth I would simply like to talk to them. Sometimes they have thoughts that make me uncomfortable, such as that of embarrassment, pettiness, depression, or even that of mating… but I don't blame them. It is a burden I have to take on if I am to read people's minds, as they are natural thoughts.
There is no progress at all made on finding the Half-Blood Prince, but I don't mind that much. This adventure through the Charizard's lands, Novaria as they call it, is a rather wondrous experience. Rather than venturing out alone, spending time with people as a psychic with mind-reading activated makes you sympathize with them a lot more.
The deeper I go, the fewer Charizard there are, and sometimes I have to feel my way along the wall alnoe. Finally I meet another elderly Charizard who warns me of the lava filled caverns if I am to continue further. The only thing I know about lava is that it is dangerous, and I don't want to risk too much on my first excursion down here.
Telling all of these Charizard about the Prince makes me think. Unlike the Salamence, whom I treated as mere sources of information and dismissed them quickly, these Charizard each felt like an acquaintance, and the more I spent time with them the more I felt like I knew them. This must be what it means to be a psychic.
My stomach grumbles with hunger, like it always does in the afternoon if I miss lunch, and so I begin my ascent, wanting to save my teleport for tomorrow. Yet I become lost in the dark tunnels and am about to just teleport above before I see a dim light. I turn the corner and I see a young Charizard slumped at a corner with her eyes unfocused.
"Are you all right?" I ask and approach her. She turns her head to me and gives a small nod. My mind reading tells me that she is lying. Most others indicate some degree of surprise upon seeing a Flygon, but she doesn't care at all. I don't know how to bring it up without saying that I read her mind. "Would you please guide me to the surface? I'm lost down here."
"All right," she answers in a soft voice, even softer than that of Phendrene's. I offer her a hand and she takes and pulls it to stand upright. Compared to Phendrene, she has taller and of a slim stature. The angular bones on her forehead are less pronounced, like all female Charizard are. Taking her tail in her hand, she begins to walk ahead of me on an upward path.
During our silent journey, I make myself focus on her thoughts. She is intensely morose, fawning over an idea of 'him'. It doesn't take much to guess that she is in love. Further thoughts inform me that it was the fact that they could not be together, and she has lost a great deal of self-worth because of it.
As we near the entrance of the cave (she took a quick path, probably knowing this place very well), her mind begins to be preoccupied about what she will do after escorting me, almost like she is desperately finding a purpose. When we spot the white dot in the distance, she points over there without a word and refuses to meet my gaze before turning around to leave. I'm only useful for mundane tasks like this. I should just kill myself.
"No." I turn around and grab onto her arm. "You shouldn't." This is the first time that I've made any indication that I can read another's mind. She looks back to me with fear in her eyes. "I'm a psychic. Sorry, but I read your mind. Please don't kill yourself," I spell out explicitly.
"You don't know anything!" she lashes back, trying to tug her arm away from me, but I keep my hold on her.
"I don't need to know anything," I talk back firmly. "Regardless of whatever he did, it doesn't mean you should die over that. You exist by yourself, do you not? You have a fiery breath and a lit tail – I have always envied that as a Flygon. Just because someone doesn't reciprocate your feelings doesn't mean you're useless. You're still alive."
"I…" She has become out of breath by embarrassment and emotion. "But I'd… rather not be without him…" She stops struggling and looks at me with pain in her eyes.
"I'll admit, I fell in love with someone who didn't love me, too," I tell her something I wouldn't even tell Phendrene. "There's nothing I can do about it. When she first left me, I was devastated, too. But then I remembered that there are others who care for me. You have a family, don't you?"
She holds her gaze at me in silence, before speaking, "I know. I have both of my parents, even though many of my friends have lost theirs. And my sister, I still have to teach her how to breath a proper flamethrower." She sighs. "But it's still hard, you know?"
"I know. Just promise me, you won't kill yourself." I hold her shoulders and look her in the eyes.
"Flygon, I…" I keep my stern gaze, and finally she falters. "Okay. I promise."
"If you ever feel down again, find me at the shelter owned by a Charizard named Fahrenheit in the west," I tell her with a smile. "Need a hug?" I say and open up my arms.
She looks at me for a moment before leaping into my arms and I return it. She breathes another sigh of relief. But I become distracted as we let go of each other, and stay distracted when she waves me goodbye and heads off back into the cave. Because it makes me nostalgic of a time where every night I would fall asleep in another Charizard's warm arms.
My lowered inhibitions after Night, and then coming here, have made me realise how alone I had been this whole time. To pretend you had a mate and distancing yourself from everyone takes quite a toll on you. Oh, how I wish I can just tell them everything and let them share this burden!
But no. You can't do that, Nova. You have to protect the eggs. You have to find the King. You have to do it alone, or other people will know and interfere. What if Rue would flip and demand that the eggs belong to Hale? What if Phendrene would tell me to forget about the Salamence King? If you want to do things on your own terms, Nova, you have to take responsibility by yourself.
Feeling my wings droop, I wonder if it would be better to teleport back. But as I step into the sunlight and cheerful Charmeleon chases Charmander around playfully, I find my vigour returning. Even if I can't tell them, there's still happiness to be had elsewhere. I had just helped a depressed Charizard, did I not? I even forgot to ask her about the Prince, but it doesn't matter. Knowing the fact that I might have just saved a life fills me with determination.
Running forward, I take to the air swiftly with all my strength and rise into the air. Flying by the masses of Charizard openly, I relish in the flow of the wind. It's okay that I didn't find anything here. I had a good time. Night shouldn't expect anything from the Charizard, anyway. She'll understand.
As I come to the out skirts, I see from high above a certain Charizard still perched atop a hill. I am concerned for him and glide down in a spiral until I land next to him. "We meet again. Have you been here the whole day?"
The twitch of his wings is like a greeting. "Why, if it is not the Flygon from this morning! I have stayed here for most of the day, yes. I am merely looking over the land of our ancestors."
"Ah, I see. Sorry to disturb you," I apologize and step forward, preparing my wings.
"Wait," he calls. The old Charizard looks up to the evening sky with a careful gaze. "Tomorrow will be rainy. It is an ill omen for us Charizard. Take care, young Flygon."
"Thank you, sir. I will," I reply and return a nod before taking flight back to my residence, and looking forward to the evening meal with everyone. The clouds above do seem grey and dense, even when underlaid by the soft evening sun.
I take comfort in the cool breeze as the terrain zooms past me. Learning more about the Charizard has given me a pleasant feeling… but also a desire to share it. Wouldn't it be nice if I could share all this with someone else?
…Stop it, Nova. Stop latching onto the thought of telling others. It's not happening. You can't. Remember when your determination when you first decided to devote yourself to these duties? This is what makes you selfless and a good person. Not simply "not hunting".
I sigh. Talking to myself seems to be the only way I can find comfort nowadays, because no one else can talk to me. You can deal with it, Nova. I trust you.
The familiar cliff comes into view and I run inside excitedly. I am just on time for the meal with everyone.
"You're back?" Rue says as I enter, like she usually does. "This is pretty early compared to when you normally arrive."
"I went to Novaria today. It wasn't very far," I explain and sit down, receiving a piece of meat from Phendrene.
"Woah, you're telling us where you went? That's a first!" Rue exclaims, and reaches her arm over to pat me, but I push it away.
"I wasn't hiding anything," I argue in my defence and sit down next to them. "I search around to different places every time I leave."
"So what did you learn?" Father asks, seemingly eager to know what his son has been up to.
"I got to know the Charizard a bit more. They're all very friendly! And the caverns have no light, so I have to follow another Charizard, or I'll be lost in the dark."
"Wait," Phendrene, uncharacteristic of her, interrupts with a hand up. "Didn't Father say, the first time we came here, that Flygon couldn't just waltz into Novaria?"
"Be realistic," Spire answers with a scoff. "How're they gonna stop that psychic Flygon from-"
Father puts a paw in front of Spire, silencing him. "Relations between Charizard and Flygon are relatively friendly, but not completely open. Though most do accept one another, to live among them would be going too far." He shifts his eyes towards me. "Most people can barely a day trip to Novaria from here. I assume at when Fen said that, he did not know that Nova had the capacity to fly this fast, and would have assumed you had to live there, which could have been problematic."
"You're just defending him 'cause you're both fathers, aren't you?" Rue says with a grin. "At that time, I bet Fen just wanted to keep his daughter within his reach."
I finish off the meat as Rue continues to bicker with my father, and head out for a quick drink. The sun has mostly set by now, the sky quickly darkening. When I return, Father and Spire have retired to the inner rooms together, and Rue reading on her bed, her tusks being discordant with the book. Before I can make a witty comment, she motions for me to head into Fen's room.
"Nova!" Phendrene raises her head from the eggs as I close the door behind me. "Father says that one of the eggs could be hatching soon!"
"Really!" Even though they aren't my children, the excitement is genuine. I rush over to beside her and look at the three eggs laid out on the table.
"It'll be a small Trapinch! Should we feed it the meat we eat?" Phendrene asks excitedly and looks up to her Father, who sits on the other side of the table.
"Yes, that would do," Fen answers. "I would like to the eggs to stay with me tonight, in case anything happens – but feel free to come in next morning."
"That would be great. Thank you, Fen," I say to him and take Phendrene's hand.
"Shouldn't you stay with your eggs a bit more?" Phendrene asks as I lead her out of the room.
"I trust your father with them," I answer and sit on my bed. "Say, Phendrene… can you give me a hug?"
"Of course," she says and puts her arm around me. "You only need to ask." It's warm, but somehow it doesn't feel as true as the earlier one today.
"Ahem," Rue says from behind, her head peeking out from above her book. "I'm here."
"So?" I twitch my antennae in annoyance. "It's just a hug."
Ignoring the Haxorus, Phendrene asks as she raises her head, "Can you tell me more about what happened today at Novaria?"
I release her from the hug and lead her to sit on my bed together. "I met a lot of different Charizard. There was this old one that was perched at the edge of the territory, who told me that it was going to rain tomorrow. There was this family with several children that offered me to stay for lunch in return for some Flygon stories. I couldn't, because I had to keep moving. And there was this other Charizard, who I met in the caverns, and she… she was really upset, so I talked to her and made her less upset. It was great! You should come with me sometime."
"That sounds amazing! What made you come up with the idea of going, then?" she asks with genuine interest.
I open my mouth and realise I simply can't tell her about Night, because that would mean telling them about my search for the Half-Blood Prince. Seeing my silence, she sighs. "You don't have to talk about it. But remember, I'm always here if you ever feel like it." She stands up and sits on her bed instead.
I look away and lie back onto my bed, this time opting to face Rue who is still engrossed in her book. "Good night," I say simply, and close my eyes. Deep down I wish that the bed were bigger, so that I could stay in her arms… How immature. And I call her the child.
My thoughts pass to Night and I remember the promise we made to meet each other. It's going to be difficult to convince Phendrene to let me leave tomorrow. I wish I didn't have to keep all these secrets. But they won't understand me. No one will. I have greater power than them, and therefore I have to do more. One day, when everything comes to fruition, they will understand. They have to.